Cheers The Malones- Joey's First Love
by vodkarocks
Summary: This story is a continuation of a previous story called Cheers-The Malones Sam and Diane. It centers on Sam and Diane navigating their way through raising five year old twins.


**Cheers: The Malones- Joey's First Love**

**January 2000**

** Sam felt breathing an inch from his nose. He opened one eye to see which child it was breathing in his face. It was his five year old son Joey. **

"**Daddy, are you awake"?**

"**I am now", said Sam as he glanced at the clock. 6:10 AM.**

"**I have a girlfriend". **

"**Could you still have her at 7:00 AM Joey"?**

**Joey was a kindergartener and one month shy of his sixth birthday so he wasn't programmed yet to understand sarcasm any more than he was programmed to wait for something he thought was important. **

"**I want to take a present to her at school today but I don't know what to give her", said Joey in his most sincere voice. "What do you give mommy"?**

"**Diamonds?" laughed Sam.**

**Sam lifted Joey up into the bed and put him between Diane and himself, hoping that Diane would wake up and take over. Diane was pretending to be asleep so she wouldn't interfere with the father/son chat but she knew that inevitably Sam would ask her to rescue him.**

"**So Joey, tell me about this girl", said Sam.**

"**She's got yellow hair like mommy and she's smart. She told me she likes me".**

"**Wow, forward thinker", said Sam in a tongue and cheek voice, "She does sound like Mommy", then smiled at his son. **

"**Do you think I should give her a stuffed animal or something? She likes those".**

** Diane still wasn't rescuing Sam so he asked Joey to ask his mother when she woke up. Joey, being five, couldn't wait so he turned and pressed his nose into his mother's face. **

"**Are you awake, Mommy"? **

**Diane opened her eyes and smiled at Joey saying, "I sure am sweetheart. What do you need?" **

** Diane looked at Joey with a smile. He was her first born child. Joey was born a full five minutes before Maura, in February 1994. She always called Joey "an old soul" because he had that unique quality of putting everyone around him at ease even at his young age.**

"**Mommy, I have a girlfriend. I want to bring her a present. What should I bring her"?**

**Adopting a serious voice Diane said, "Does your girlfriend like art?"**

"**I think so".**

"**Joey, why don't you draw a picture for her. You love to draw and you're so good at it", said Diane, "We'll roll the picture up in some pretty ribbon too".**

"**Okay I'll do that". Joey got off the bed and headed to his room to get started on his drawing.**

** Diane rolled over to look at Sam, smiled and said, "You're so lucky you didn't say "pushy one" instead of "forward thinker".**

"**I knew I had to be careful on that one because I knew you were PRETENDING to be asleep. Speaking of sleep, let's try to get about a half hour more".**

** They wrapped themselves up together like they always did, her back to him, his arms around her waist. He kissed the back of her neck and she squirmed. "Later", she said and he knew what she meant.**

** "Maura, Joey, Sam. Breakfast is ready", said Diane just as they rounded the corner to the kitchen. **

** Diane insisted that they eat breakfast together every morning, a substantial breakfast. With Sam's work schedule there were many nights that she knew he wouldn't be home for dinner and she wanted them to have some time every day to spend together. Even on the mornings after Sam closed the bar late the previous night, he got up to have breakfast with his kids, then headed back to bed after they left for school. The ritual was that as Sam helped the kids get ready for school (except for brushing Maura's hair) and Diane cooked the meal. This particular morning they were having French toast, bacon, and orange slices- a favorite of all.**

"**I finished my picture for Katie", said Joey. "It's a picture of her".**

** Joey held out the picture he had drawn of a blond girl with long hair. She was standing in a field of pink and yellow flowers. He put a heart in one corner of the drawing, and a blazing sun in the other corner. **

** Diane tied up the picture for Joey with some pretty ribbon and helped the children get ready. Sam drove the children to school while she went upstairs to get ready for work. She had several classes that day and wanted to get there early to make any revisions necessary in her lesson plans. Sam came home from dropping the children at school. They passed in the hallway, kissed, and vowed to take some time later that night for some serious "conversation".**

** After school while Joey was having a snack, Diane asked him how Katie liked her present. **

"**She really, really liked it", he said smiling, "I'm making another one for her for tomorrow". **

"**And… you know what mom", Joey whispered, "I kissed her when the teacher wasn't looking".**

** The next two mornings, Joey brought more presents for Katie that he showed at the breakfast table. One was of a blond girl skating on a rink holding hands with a little boy. The next was a picture of a blond girl in a wedding dress holding hands with a dark haired boy. **

**Diane was beginning to worry. After all, Joey was only five years old and why would a five year old feel be kissing a classmate and hiding it from his teacher and bringing her daily drawings. She said nothing to him about it but told Sam her concerns when he got home. Sam thought it was cute and not out of the ordinary. "Like father like son", Sam smiled, to which Diane replied, "That's what I'm afraid of".**

"**You know, Sam, five year old boys imitate their fathers and want to grow up just like them. You said yourself that you were a Casanova at a very young age. I'm just afraid that spending so much time at the bar with you and the other guys is making him a little advanced for his years".**

"**Maura spends just as much time at the bar with me as Joey does".**

"**That's different. Five year old girls identify with their mothers so she is modeling my behavior. It's completely different".**

"**Diane, relax, if he is just like me, she won't be around too much longer. He hasn't met "the one" yet, like I have" he said as he smiled at her.**

** Thursday afternoon Diane answered her office telephone after she saw that it was Joey and Maura's school calling. The principal, Dr. Maryanne Jacobs, asked Diane if it was possible that she and Sam to come to the school on Friday morning for a meeting about Joey. Diane asked what the meeting was about but the principal simply said she wanted to discuss something with them and to show them something. Keeping herself in check, Diane simply said okay.**

** Diane fretted all night. She wondered exactly was going on between her precious Joey and this girl. Sam and Diane arrived at the school on Friday morning at 9:45 and met in the principal's office. **

"**Dr. Jacob's, is this meeting about Joey's relationship with a girl named Katie"? said Diane.**

"**Why, yes it is. I wanted to talk to both of you in person about it".**

**Diane began marathon talking, "Dr. Jacobs, my husband owns a bar in downtown Boston and Joey spends an inordinate amount of time in the bar. He hears and sees things that many other five year olds don't see. Also, as you know, five year old boys model the behavior of…", and on and on.**

**Dr. Jacobs smiled at Diane and said that she did know Sam owned a bar, her own daughter had once dated Sam, and that five year old boys did indeed model their fathers. Then she said to both Sam and Diane, "I'd like you to follow me, I have something I want to show you, and then we'll talk". As they walked down the hallway Diane was feeling apprehensive, so was Sam. It sounded serious.**

**Dr. Jacobs quietly escorted the Malones into the back of the classroom. She explained that the class was having snack time and she wanted them to watch. **

**Joey was sitting happily talking to the other children. A back door of the room opened and a child entered with an adult's help. The child had braces on her legs and was walking with forearm crutches. Using her crutches, she walked to the seat next to Joey. He helped her get settled in her chair then went to get her milk and snack. He opened her milk carton for her and put a straw in, then he handed her his latest ribbon tied present, a picture of her running with a kite.**

**Dr. Jacobs explained to them the Katie had started school that week. Katie had been in a serious accident the summer before that rendered her paralyzed and had been unable to attend a regular school program until now. Katie's parents were understandably concerned about her adjustment. Dr. Jacobs went on to say that Katie's mother had stopped in to see her the previous day and credited Joey with making her child so comfortable and happy at school.**

"**Mr. and Mrs. Malone, Katie's mother told me that she talked about never walking again until Joey started showing up with pictures of her running, walking, skating. The teachers are amazed that a five year old child has the empathy to give so much to another child. He simply doesn't see Katie's disabilities. He only sees Katie."**

** Sam and Diane squeezed hands and could speak no words because of the aching lumps in their throats.**

**Dr. Jacob's broke the moment by saying, "Mrs. Malone, if it is true that five year old boys model their father's behavior, I'd say that you are a very lucky woman".**

"**Indeed I am, Mrs. Jacobs".**

**Leaving Joey's classroom, they passed the other kindergarten classroom, Maura's class. Mrs. Jacob's invited them to observe her classroom as well so they stood quietly at the back of the room. Maura's hair was tied back and decorated in a kindergarten fashionable bow. A boy walked up to Maura and tugged at her hair ribbon, pulling it loose. Maura spun on the boy and with hands on her hips shouted; "Tommy Moran, don't ever touch me again", and she followed with, "I hate you". **

**Mrs. Jacob's raised one eyebrow and looked at Diane as she smiled.**

**Sam merely said, "Yup, that's my girl".**


End file.
